


Surprise Occupant

by celeste9



Series: February Challenge Fics [25]
Category: Hawkeye (Comics), Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Common Cold, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-24 02:31:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13801503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celeste9/pseuds/celeste9
Summary: “Funny thing is, people don’t seem to be interested in superheroes or detectives that can’t stop blowing their noses.” As if for emphasis, Kate grabbed for a tissue and blew her nose loudly.“Yeah, weird,” Clint agreed. “Go figure.”





	Surprise Occupant

**Author's Note:**

> Day 25: character a has a cold

Lucky greeted Clint at the door when he entered his apartment, wagging his tail. “Let me guess, you want food,” Clint said, but instead Lucky headed off in the direction of the bedroom, checking back as if to ensure Clint was following.

So Clint followed.

He sighed when he went in, watching Lucky jump up onto the bed and curl up next to the occupant. “Kate, when I gave you a key I didn’t mean ‘please help yourself to everything that’s mine and sleep in my bed. Don’t you have your own place? That’s, like, actually nice?” He paused. “Seriously, why are you in my bed?”

Only the top of her head was peeking out from beneath the covers but she pulled them down just enough so he could see her eyes. “I’m dying.”

She sounded all nasally and congested. A swift glance revealed a box of tissues on the bedside table and what looked like half of them already used, littered all over.

“Aw, man. So you brought your germs here? Into my bed?”

“Thanks for the sympathy.”

“I’m sympathetic, I am, but I also don’t want a cold. I hate colds.” Clint took a few steps closer to pick up one dirty tissue between his fingertips and cast it away.  “I mean, I’ll be the first to admit I’m not the cleanest of souls, but this is nasty, Katie-Kate.”

“I’m too busy dying to worry about making a mess in your disaster of an apartment. It was already a disaster when I came in.”

“Yeah, okay, but when you’re not dying, you’re disinfecting everything. Avengers don’t have time for colds.” Clint sat on the edge of his bed near Kate’s feet. She did honestly sound terrible. “Kinda surprised you’re off your feet, though. Your self-preservation skills are about as good as mine.”

“Funny thing is, people don’t seem to be interested in superheroes or detectives that can’t stop blowing their noses.” As if for emphasis, Kate grabbed for a tissue and blew her nose loudly.

“Yeah, weird,” Clint agreed. “Go figure.”

“Right?”

“So unreasonable.” Clint patted Kate’s leg through the blankets. “I’m not really the best at this caretaking thing, surprise, but since you are in my bed I figure that means you, uh, want to be here? And, well, I should probably do something. You want something? Pizza? I can order pizza. Water? Drugs?”

“I’m already drugged up but thanks for the thought.”

Lucky’s tail thumped against the mattress as if he was also showing his approval for Clint’s thoughtfulness.

Score.

“I think maybe there’s some orange juice in the fridge,” Clint offered. “It’s probably not bad yet. Probably.”

Kate’s laugh almost sounded human. “I’ll pass, but I might want that pizza later. I can’t smell anything so my tastebuds are all screwed up but pizza helps everything.”

“Fact.”

“Now leave me alone so I can watch crappy reality TV, it always makes me feel better about my life.” She grabbed her tablet, blinking blearily at it.

Clint rubbed Kate’s leg again and stood up. He found a tiny garbage can in the corner and dragged it over, wrinkling his nose as he swept some of Kate’s dirty tissues off the bedside table into the trash. “Look, I even cleaned. Have a nap or something. I’ll get the pizza for when you want it.”

He walked to the door, and only barely heard Kate’s softly muttered, “Thanks, Clint.”

He smiled to himself and he closed the door, leaving it open just a crack.

Not that he would ever say it, but Kate was welcome to take over his bed whenever she needed it.


End file.
